


Home Will Be Right Here

by NoirAngel011



Series: Robin Needs Hugs and Steve Provides [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Lesbian Character, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Other, Period-Typical Homophobia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma, traumatic event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-09-18 20:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20319199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoirAngel011/pseuds/NoirAngel011
Summary: Steve was very good at picking up on people’s moods before they ever said a word. The more he got to know a person, the easier it was. He could tell when someone was happy, or angry, or sad just at a quick glance. He was pretty proud of this skill, actually. He liked knowing when someone he cared about was hurt or upset and he could comfort them without ever having to hear a word. Soon enough, his friends would come to Steve and he would know right away what was bugging them.With Robin, he understood absolutely everything about her. Steve knew that something was up and she was hurting. Yet, he couldn’t help someone that didn’t want to be helped.or, Steve notices Robin is acting off. He wishes she had come to him sooner.





	1. The First Day Dropoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin would trust Steve with her life. And he would protect her at any cost. Robin needed Steve and Steve needed Robin.

Steve was very good at picking up on people’s moods before they ever said a word. The more he got to know a person, the easier it was. He could tell when someone was happy, or angry, or sad just at a quick glance. He was pretty proud of this skill, actually. He liked knowing when someone he cared about was hurt or upset and he could comfort them without ever having to hear a word. Soon enough, his friends would come to Steve and he would know right away what was bugging them.

With Robin, he understood absolutely everything about her. Steve knew that something was up and she was hurting. Yet, he couldn’t help someone that didn’t want to be helped.

She was his best friend. The one person that he had no idea what he would do without. Steve had never imagined having such a great life with a person as great as Robin, and he knew he could do anything with her right by his side. If the people he had called ‘friends’ in high school saw him now, practically being attached at the hip with Robin Buckley, they would ask,  _ “What happened, dude? Is  _ ** _she_ ** _ really the best you can get?”  _

They didn’t know Robin like Steve did. They didn’t know her deepest darkest secrets. They didn’t know her favorite movies and arcade games. They didn’t spend almost every night with her. They didn’t hug her when she was struck with nightmares. They didn’t nurse her back to health when she got sick. They didn’t smoke her first cigarette with her. They didn’t know every aspect of her life. And, she didn’t trust them with anything the way she trusted Steve.

Robin would trust Steve with her life. And he would protect her at any cost. Robin needed Steve and Steve needed Robin.

Steve knew Robin like the back of his hand. He could read her extremely well. Which is why it made him so sad to see her hurting. Just like she was right now. And she wouldn’t let him help her.

The first time he noticed it was on the first day of Robin’s senior year.

The plan was everyday Steve would pick her up at her house in the morning, drop her off at school, then pick her up and drive her wherever after. Sometimes they would have work at Family Video after school, or they would go back to his house and Steve would help Robin with her homework, (or try to at least, she was a lot smarter than he was)

He noticed her acting off the second she got in the car on the first day of school. She didn’t greet him with a “hey dingus” or make some playful insult about his hair or complain about how cold the car was like she normally did. She just set her white and purple backpack down in the floorboard of the car and buckled her seatbelt. Robin leaned up against the door and rested her head on the window.

“Hey? Robin, what’s wrong?” Steve tried to reach out and touch her shoulder but Robin smacked his hand away. He didn’t start driving though. He waited for her to say something,  _ anything.  _ But she didn’t say a word.

“Please Robin. Just talk to me,” Steve said. Robin looked at him, but still didn’t talk. Steve reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, this time she didn’t pull away. They locked eyes and Steve saw a wall of hurt building slowly inside of her. 

After a few minutes, she finally talked to him for the first time that morning. “I’m fine Steve, trust me,” She spoke softly. Steve, against his better judgment, decided to drop it. Robin knew the rules, friends don't lie. Maybe she was being honest, maybe she was just tired from waking up early or nervous about her first day back at school.

So Steve drove off, headed towards the school he had graduated only a summer ago. So much could happen in three months. So much that would haunt him forever. So much hurt and pain and devastation. He pulled into a parking spot and leaned over, wrapping Robin in a side hug.

She startled awake. Tears filled her eyes before she looked up and saw Steve, giving her that classic worried but safe look. Robin brought her hands up and grabbed onto his bicep, trying to bring herself back to reality and ward off the panic she felt approaching. 

Steve almost immediately knew what was going on. It had happened many times before. Robin would doze off without realizing what she was doing, and when someone shook her awake, she almost always was flooded with memories of the Russians and Starcourt, just barely two months ago. 

He let her hang onto him and reached over, dragging a hand through her hair, reaching down to cup the side of her face. Robin tried to blink away her tears, not wanting to walk into school a hot mess.

“You good?” Steve asked when her grip on his arm had loosened and she was mostly calmed down. Robin nodded, reaching for her bag.

“You sure you don’t want to wait a few minutes, we still have like ten until the first bell rings?” Steve checked his watch as he spoke. Robin shook her head.

“No, I’ll be okay. See you after school.” Robin gave a small smile as she climbed out of the car. She waved at him gently as she shut the door, turning away and heading towards the school.

Steve watched her go, waiting until he had vanished into the building to pull out and start the drive to Family Video for his morning shift. 

He really hoped Robin would be okay. He didn’t know what he would do if something happened. They hadn’t gone more than an hour and a half apart all summer during the day. Robin always seemed more shaken when she spent nights at her own house than whens he slept next to Steve, curled up into his arms in his warm cozy bed. So her going to school, with no real friends her age there that knew the extent of what she had gone through, Steve worried about her.

Steve should have never let her get out of the car that morning...


	2. The Mid-Day Phonecall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Family Video, this is Steve. How can I help you?”

It was a really slow day at Family Video. Steve had been on the clock for only three hours and still had three more to go. He was bored and was idly snacking on a bag of gummy bears. He glanced up at the clock. It was 12:24. Robin was at lunch now, had been for four minutes.

Steve worried. He had told her a few days ago to give him a call at work if anything bad happened. He doubted that she remembered what he told her though. Steve had been so frazzled by Robin’s almost-panic-attack that he had forgotten to remind her. He hoped she was okay. 

The bell rang at the door, redirecting Steve’s attention to the customer. An older lady looking for something to watch with her grandkids. Steve pointed her towards the family and children section and waited. When she came back Steve scanned the movie without even looking at the cover. She paid and walked out, leaving Steve alone to his thoughts again.

The phone rang only a few minutes later. Steve slumped over to it, expecting a telemarketer or something, momentarily forgetting about Robin being okay or not.

He was surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other end of the line though.

“Family Video, this is Steve. How can I help you?”

“Steve, oh thank god. It’s Dustin.”

Steve panicked. Why would Dustin be calling him in the middle of the day. Dustin didn’t have his lunch break for another hour. It could only mean something had gone wrong.

“Dustin?! Why are you calling me right now? What’s wrong?!” Thinking back, Steve really did sound like a over-protective mother. But he didn’t care at the moment, one of his kids was hurt, and Steve went into fight or flight mode.

“It’s Robin,” Before Dustin could even finish, Steve already reaching to clock out early. He honestly didn’t care about the job if Robin wasn’t okay. 

“Max went to wash her hands after her art class and Robin was there crying. We don’t know what happened but she won’t calm down. We’re all four skipping class to stay with her, it seems bad,” Dustin’s voice quivered as he spoke. He loved Robin like a sister the same way he loved Steve like a brother. To see her actively hurting so badly made his heart break.

“Okay, hold on. I’m coming to grab her. It’s not like any teachers make you take notes or do work on the first day anyway. You guys need to get to class, though. Tell her to go out by the back steps, I’ll pull up there.” Steve was stretching the phone with him as he reached for his bag across the counter.

“Yeah, Mike has study hall right now so he’ll stay with her out there until you get to school. I have to go tell the others the plan. Oh, and don’t bother coming to get us after school, we’ll catch a ride with Nancy.” Dustin talked fast before hanging up the phone, not giving Steve a chance to speak.

Steve ran out to his car. Keith could fuck off if he wanted to fire him. Robin was more important right now. He needed to protect her and keep her safe. He knew she was capable of fighting her own battles, but when it got to the point that one of the kids had to call him at work because Robin was in hysterics, Steve immediately went straight to worse case scenario. Right now, he wanted to beat in someone’s face, whoever had said something mean or laid a single finger on her.

Steve made it to the Hawkins’ High School in record time. He may or may not have been zipping it down main street to get to Robin as fast as possible. He pulled around to the back entrance and caught sight of Mike sitting on the pavement. Robin was beside him, leaned up against the school dumpster with her head buried in her knees and shaking with sobs. Mike stood up when he spotted Steve. Steve pulled to the curb and hopped out of his car, running to Robin’s side.

“Who hurt you?! What happened?! Just say their name and they’ll be sorry they ever looked at you! Come on, Rob. Talk to me,” Steve was on the edge, the only thing keeping him together was Mike standing behind him and Robin sobbing into his neck. He hugged her tightly, wanting nothing more than to block out all the pain of the world and keep her safe forever.

“Will you come get in the car with me so I can take you home?” Steve asked her, his voice softer this time, calming down as he ran his fingers through Robin’s messy hair. Robin sniffed, trying to stop her crying. She hadn’t moved her head from the spot right between his shoulder and neck, where she fit perfectly in his arms.

Mike came around to the other side of her and laid a hand on Robin’s shoulder. Steve ran his other hand that wasn’t in her hair up and down her back. Gradually, she stopped shaking and melted more into them both.

“Wanna go home? Get cozy and watch some cheesy old movies to take your mind off it?” Steve asked her again, taking his hand away from her hair and reaching down to lift her chin up, so she was looking him in the eye. Her cheeks were stained with tear tracks and her blue eyes were bloodshot, her pupils dilated, like when she was on the Russian drugs last summer.

“Yes-” Robin voice broke and wavered with pure desperation to get away. Her eyes flooded with tears again but she held her emotions back. “I want to go home,” Robin whispered as she leaned back into Steve. She wrapped her arms around his torso and heard Mike shuffling around, grabbing her bag. Steve lifted Robin up and carried her to his car. Mike opened the door and set her bag down in the backseat. Steve helped Robin climb into the passenger side before running over and clambering into his side.

“You get to class now, Mike,” Steve told Mike with a rather stern look, but really he was just worried about Robin. Mike nodded and headed back inside. Steve looked over at Robin sitting next to him. She was still curled up into a little ball.

Steve pulled away from the school, one hand on the steering wheel. He rested the other one on Robin’s shoulder, just to give her some kind of human touch, grounding her.

Steve drove slowly home, saying gentle nothings to Robin the whole way. Robin at one point moved over away from the window and laid down across the seats, unbuckling her seat belt. She rode the rest of the way home with her head in Steve’s lap, Steve still playing on a few strands of her hair.

Steve was still worried about Robin, but felt more content with her at his side now. He really hoped it would be okay.


	3. The Cuddling That Happens On Steve's Couch After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin clung to him when he tried to set her down on the couch. Her eyes filled with tears immediately when Steve tried to let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter, I've been pretty busy with school! I would love to hear your feedback int he comments!

Steve pulled into his driveway and killed the engine. He looked down into his lap and sighed. Robin had her eyes closed but Steve could tell she was still awake based on her shaky breathing. He carefully brushed away the tear tracks under her eyes. Robin shifted and blinked her eyes open. Steve gave her a soft smile that Robin didn’t return.

“Come on, let’s get you inside,” Steve said, carefully picking her up. Robin let him hold her, curling into him and burying her face in his neck. Steve climbed out of the car, which was admittedly hard to do one handed but he managed.

Robin clung to him when he tried to set her down on the couch. Her eyes filled with tears immediately when Steve tried to let her go. Steve sighed.

“Okay, come on. We’re going to the kitchen,” Steve told her gently as he picked her back up. He carried her bridal style as he tried to open the fridge, which wasn’t easy. Robin reached out and yanked it open for him before burying herself back into his chest. 

Steve grabbed an ice-cold water bottle and shut the door with his head. Hey, sometimes you had to get unconventional. He carried Robin back to the living room and sat down on the couch, still holding Robin in his lap.

Steve reached forward and grabbed the super fuzzy blanket off the coffee table that he had absentmindedly thrown there yesterday. It was Robin’s favorite and he wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. Steve could feel her grip loosening a little on his shirt.

Robin whimpered a little, trying to hold back her tears. Steve was worried about how shaken she was. Robin was tough, she had fought off evil russians and thrown fireworks at an otherworldly monster made of melted people. Robin hardly ever let something waver her. But right now she was a shaking mess over something that happened at school. Steve was starting to worry that instead of just saying something mean to her and pushing her or something someone had actually tried to  _ touch her. _

Steve held Robin tighter as she started crying all over again. She was the most important thing in the world to him and seeing her hurt like this was heart-breaking. She pulled the blanket tighter around her and Steve began gently stroking her hair. 

Robin calmed down slowly as Steve whispered gentle reassurances into her ear. Steve grabbed the water and twisted off the cap. He held it up to Robin’s lips. She only drank a little but she needed to stay hydrated after all her crying.

“Don’t ever leave me, please.” Robin’s voice was shaking pitifully and Steve hugged her tighter.

“Of course, Rob. I’m never leaving you,” Steve mumbled into her hair as she had tucked her head into the crook between his shoulder and neck.

Steve reached over and grabbed the remote. He turned on the TV for background noise onto some random cooking channel. Steve wasn’t paying attention though, he was focused on cuddling with robin. 

After about half an hour her tears had ceased and Robin was sleeping on Steve’s shoulder. Steve had let up his grip on her so she wasn’t being suffocated by him in her sleep. Eventually, Steve felt himself drifting off to sleep as well. He laid his head on top of Robin’s and held one of her hands in his as they slept in each other’s arms.


	4. The Best Friend That Makes Everything Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m glad you’re my best friend, Steve.” Robin smiled dreamily as she talked, the bright sun and warm air making her sleepy.

Steve woke up first, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He momentarily forgot where he was and jumped slightly when he felt Robin curled up next to him. He came to his senses when he looked down at the girl in his arms. Steve smiled.

Despite everything they had seen, everything that had happened, Robin still looked so sweet and innocent. She made his heart melt. Robin stirred, waking up slowly. Her blue eyes looked up at Steve before she ducked her head away and cuddling back into him.

“Robin?” Steve asked, wrapping his arms back around her and pulling her closer.

“Hmmm?” Robin hummed in reply. Steve ran his fingers through Robin’s hair.

“Can you please tell me what happened? You can’t keep running from it. It really shook you, it must have been something bad,” Steve whispered to her, hugging her tighter to him.

Robin pulled away from the hug, sitting back and taking Steve’s hands into hers. He could feel the, shaking. She looked at him with that warmth in her eyes, that trust.  


“You’’l feel better once you get it off your chest,” Steve tried to gently coax her. He let go of one of her right hand to brush her hair back away from her face. He brought his hand back to Robin’s and squeezed, reassuring her.

“Okay, here goes nothing,” Steve seemed to give her everything she needed just in the way he looked at her. His eyes said  _ ‘Don’t worry. You’re gonna be alright. I’m right here. You’re safe from whatever hurt you. I love you so much and I’m never leaving you.’  
_

Robin took a shaky breath.

“I was walking to third period and Sarah Jonas came up to me and her girls cornered me around my locker.” Robin closed her eyes for a second to breathe. Steve rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, a silent  _ ‘You’ve got this.’ _

They started- started taunting me. Sarah kept saying homophobic slurs and Ashley was grabbing my wrists and Kayleigh was blocking my way out and it was all too much. I shoved them away and ran to the bathroom and just cried all of third period until Max found me-” Robin’s breath hitched and she looked ready to cry, her eyes overflowing with tears.  


Steve couldn’t take it anymore. He leaned forward and wrapped Robin in a warm hug. Robin melted into him and hugged back, sobbing into his shoulder.Steve rubbed her back up and down as he held her while Robin gripped onto his shirt.

After a few minutes, Robin had calmed down significantly.  


“Feel better?” Steve asked her. Robin nuzzled closer into him.

“Yes. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest,” Robin sniffled as she talked, trying to dry her tears.

“Hey, how about we go do something, get out and have some fun, eh?” Robin pulled away from Steve with curious eyes.

“What would we do?”

“How about some lunch? You haven’t eaten any today have you?” STeve knew that Robin loved her sleep, she rarely ever had time to eat breakfast and she had skipped lunch. She had to be hungry by now.

Steve grabbed a tissue from the box on the side table and helped Robin clean off her face. He scooped her up off the couch and carried her over his shoulder out to the car, making her giggle in protest.

Now they sat in a diner about ten minutes from Hawkins, slurping chocolate milkshakes while they waited for their food.

Robin leaned over and laid her head on Steve’s shoulder. He looked down at her and she met his eyes, making both of them laugh. Robin sat up laughing so hard as she drank from her milkshake that it shot out of her nose, just making both of them laugh harder.

Steve handed her a napkin. Robin giggled as she cleaned off her face and the table.

“Not to self, don’t drink and make eye-contact with Steve at the same time.” Robin smiled as she spoke. Nad Steve smiled too seeing her so happy.

They sat at the counter, waiting on their food and talking, enjoying the other’s company and liking not being alone. By now school would have been out anyway, and Robin didn’t care that she was ditching on the first day, despite her good girl record.

She had already gotten accepted to Berkley last year after taking the SAT her junior year. Steve had helped her apy for the tuition that her scholarship didn’t cover and she hadn’t made enough money for herself. She really just had to keep a good GPA all year to graduate top of her class and she would be fine.  


Spending time laughing with Steve was enough to make her forget about ditching class anyway.

Their food came soon and they talked about everything and anything while they ate. Steve was telling a story about his childhood dog as they finished eating.

“Hold on. Can we get two medium chocolate milkshakes to go?” He asked as the waitress came by to pick up Steve and Robin’s plates. She nodded and went off to grab the drinks.

After they left they sat on the hood of Steve’s car, drinking slowly and basking in the late afternoon sunlight.

Robin leaned over and laid her head on Steve’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re my best friend, Steve.” Robin smiled dreamily as she talked, the bright sun and warm air making her sleepy.   


“I’m glad I have you to call my best friend too, Robin,” Steve slung his arm around her and stroked a hand through her hair.

“Don’t get all sappy on her here dingus,” Robin said in a mean tone, but there was a smile in her voice. Steve knew she was just being playful.

“You were the one getting sappy first!” Steve jokingly accused her. Robin slapped him gently on the arm, taking his milkshake from his hand and holding it close to her.

“You know what I meant!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice: I love how Robin associates home with Steve's house. It's so adorable how much she loves being with him. He really is her safe space.


End file.
